ELDER NAMED: Bay City State Representative on Law Revision Commission

May 26, 2017
By: Dave Rogers

State Rep. Brian K. Elder (D-Bay City) is the only House Democrat appointed by Speaker of the House Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt) to serve on the Michigan Law Revision Commission (MLRC).

The MLRC is a bipartisan body that examines the laws of the state in order to eliminate redundancies and defects, and recommend needed reform.

Said Rep. Elder: "I look forward to sitting on this commission, as it will allow me to remain engaged in the process not only of writing our laws but updating them as well. I'm extremely appreciative that Speaker Leonard saw fit to give me this opportunity."

The commission meets regularly to discuss and recommend legal changes that modify or eliminate antiquated and inequitable rules of law and to bring the civil and criminal law of the state in line with modern practices. Rep. Elder's term on the commission continues through December 2018.

"I'm a history buff, and I understand that perspective and context are extremely important when studying both history and law," said Rep. Elder. "Serving on this commission will allow me not only to look at Michigan's past through a legal and historical lens, but to do so in a way that both preserves our history while streamlining our legal code, and I am very much looking forward to it."

Rep. Elder is serving his first term representing the 96th House District, which includes the cities of Bay City and Essexville and townships of Bangor, Frankenlust, Hampton, Kawkawlin, Merritt, Monitor and Portsmouth in Bay County.

Elder comes from three generations of autoworkers and is the first member of his family to attend college, having worked his way through Wayne State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor's degree in History. He graduated from the UCLA School of Law earning a Juris Doctorate, with honors in Property Law and Oral Advocacy.

Elder has practiced law in Mid-Michigan since 1998 as Brian K. Elder, P.L.C., a general civil law practice. Elder has represented dozens of municipalities over his career, as well labor unions, union members and individuals in the areas of estate planning and elder law.

Rep. Elder served eight years as a Bay County Commissioner and was the Chairman of the Bay County Board of Commissioners. As a county commissioner, Elder was involved in economic development, helping create and chairing Bay Future, Inc., Bay County's public-private economic development partnership. Elder was Bay County's lead negotiator on the Fabiano Bros. multi-million dollar facility project that resulted in the expansion of the Monitor DDA and led to an additional $400,000 of tax revenue per year to local Bay County governments.

Elder's favorite accomplishment as a County Commissioner may be the creation of "Central Bark," Bay County's only dog park.

Elder lives in Bay City and is married to Susan Elder, a German teacher at Bay City Central High School and Handy Middle School. Brian and Susan have three children in the Bay City Public School System.

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